The Literary Composition Contest, part of the Legion's Youth and Education program, is meant to foster an understanding of the sacrifices made on our behalf by many young men and women in World Wars I and II, and the Korean War. To this day, many brave young men and women put their personal security at risk in the name of peace and humanity in places like Bosnia, Cyprus, Haiti, East Timor, Afghanistan, etc.
The entry may be in the form of a poem or an essay.
When are the contests held?
Contests are held each year just prior to Remembrance Day by local Legion branches throughout Ontario Command. Winners of local contests have the opportunity to compete against other branch level winners at zone level, zone winners participate at district level, district winners at provincial level, and provincial winners then compete at the Dominion or national level.
Categories
The contest is divided into three categories.
| Senior | - Grades 10, 11 and 12 |
| Intermediate | - Grades 7, 8 and 9 |
| Junior | - Grades 4, 5 and 6 |
What can I write about?
The subject matter is remembrance. The writer's work should inspire or reflect upon remembrance.
Rules and Regulations
1. Entries may be submitted in English or French
2. Candidates will use only one side of an 81/2" by 11" (22cm x 28cm) page.
b) Chairmen are encouraged to code all entries in pencil on the back of the entry the Branch #, District, Zone, Essay/Poem,
Category 1/2/3. Example: 452; F-5; E: C-1 or 452: F-5: P C-1
5. Poems cannot have more than 32 lines (excluding title) and Essays cannot have more than the word count stipulated for each age group (excluding title). It is the Chairmen's responsibility to ensure that students meet the guideline regarding the number of words before submitting it to the next level.
Category 1 Essay (Words) Poem (Lines)
Junior (Grades 4, 5 & 6) 350 32
Category 2
Intermediate (Grades 7, 8 & 9) 500 32
Category 3
Senior (Grades 10, 11 & 12) 800 32
6. Students may enter both the Essay and Poem Contests, but may submit only one entry for each category.
7. All entries are to be submitted to their local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
8. Students who have been out of the educational system for more than two consecutive years are ineligible to compete in the Literary contest at any level.
Provincial Contest Awards
| Category | First Place (Gold Medal) |
Second Place (Silver Medal) |
Third Place (Bronze Medal) |
| Senior | $300.00 | $150.00 | $100.00 |
| Intermediate | $150.00 | $100.00 | $ 75.00 |
| Junior | $100.00 | $ 75.00 | $ 50.00 |
Each branch, zone, district and area will have its own prize structure